^WGRAP^Qo c Chris Marker Silent M o v i starring Catherine Belkhodja WEXNER CENTER for the ARTS THE OHIO STAT UNIVERSITY Acc ^ Museumof ModernArt Libra-? HoH<A I-721* Produced in association with Chris Marker: Silent Movie January 26—April 9, 1995 The Wexner Center presentation of SilentMovie has been Wexner Center for the Arts The Ohio State University made possible by a generous grant from The Andy Columbus, Ohio Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Major support June 21—September 12,1995 for the development of this project has been provided Museum of Modern Art New York, New York by a Wexner Center Residency Award, funded by the Wexner Center Foundation. January 10—March 10, 1996 University Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive Berkeley, California October 20, 1996—January 12, 1997 Walker Art Center Minneapolis, Minnesota Organized by William Horrigan, Wexner Center Curator of Media Arts. ©1995,Wexner Center for the Arts, SilentMovie is presented as part of the Motion Picture Centennial: Years of The Ohio State University Discovery, 1891—1896/ Years of Celebration 1991—1996,a six-year, nationwide, multi-institution observance of the first 100 years of the moving image arts. Graphic Designer: M. Christopher Jones Editor: Ann Bremner Published by Wexner Center for the Arts The Ohio State University CENTENNIAL North High Street at Fifteenth Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43210-1393 Years of Discovery 1891-1896 Years of Celebration ISBN: I-88 1390- 10- 1 1991-1996 SilentMovie is dedicated to the memory of Guillaume-en-Egypte. Every summer evening, — Who knows? — Believe it or not, at the Palais-Royal. I read your thoughts — A nightmare — Gertie, this game must stop from which — So you re talking. I am trying to awake. but your mind 1 here are ghosts is somewhere else in the night — Step on the tail of the tiger! Then Meanwhile, in the manor. fate knocks at the door. — Watch the stars. — Sounded like a name to me. — Bless you, madam! Briseis, Dido. — She cried over the lynx. Remember your last dream? Remember me but oh forget my fate — 'The tygers of wrath — I come from a distant planet are wiser When night comes, than the horses — Someone up there. a strange atmosphere of instruction — ignores me! fills the house. — A ghost — Can you stare — Soft morning, city with a female voice? at your own devils? — In my icy sadness. was a visitor Salome, puppet of God. Ever a dreamer of global sweep, Chris Marker has spent a lifetime committing the musings of heart and mind to that most dream-like medium of film. Celebrated for an utterly original cinematic oeuvre, Marker has been hailed as "The Last 2 Foreword and Acknowledgments Auteur," despite his preternatural aversion to anything resem bling heroic bravado or celebrity. Yet while much has been made of his fiercely guarded anonymity, there are likely few, if any, filmmakers as subtly self-revealing. Spanning four decades and as many continents, Marker's fascination with the face, the ges ture, the journey, and the waltz (all chapters in his SilentMovie installation for the Wexner Center) remains boundless. A still avid explorer, he perpetually seeks that indelible memory of Wouldn't it be wonderful perfection so long ago glimpsed on the silent screen. IF THIS CENTURY ENDED AS Wary (or constitutionally incapable) of sheer fiction, Marker has invented a genre uniquely his own: part diary, part docu IT BEGAN, WITH A RUSSIAN mentary, part imaginary discourse in which cultural, political, Avant-Garde? or philosophical themes become sparks for exquisitely inti mate reflection. Laced with wit, compassion, humor, and grace, 1 — Chris Marker Marker's films betray a razor-sharp mind and an incurably ro mantic soul, in equally generous proportion. His narrators, male and female alike, seem barely disguised alter-egos, su premely articulate, resonant, and commanding from "behind" the screen, even when scripted by Marker in non- native tongue. He weaves image, voice, and music in fugue-like composition to stunning effect. Who, then, more perfectly suited to pay tribute to the medium that, perhaps more than any other, has come to be the defining artistic invention of the Facing and pp. 8, 14, 19 twentieth century? SilentMovie is just that — Markers evocative captions from SilentMovie meditation on the domain of his most consuming desire. The Wexner Center's commission of Silent Movie was born presentation of his incomparable Sans soleil.Since then, we've of both predisposition and serendipity. In late 1993, the Los had the honor of sharing with our audiences Marker's video Angeles-based artist Christopher Wdliams was spending time diaries and short works; his vivid exploration of the legacy of at the Wexner Center to plan for an exhibition that he and Greek civilization, The Owl's Legacy; and most recently, TheLast German artist Albert Oehlen would be presenting here in Janu- Bolshevik,ostensibly the biography of his friend and mentor ary 1995.Williams turned repeatedly in conversation to Markers Alexander Medvedkin, but also, in characteristically refracted importance and influence in the evolution of his own practice, fashion, distinctly autobiographical as well. Clearly, the occa which clearly bears certain affinities to the filmmaker. Wexner sion to work closely with Marker to develop a new installa Center Media Curator Bill Horrigan initiated correspondence tion — his first for an American institution — was, for us, an with Marker at his home in Paris, and to our extreme pleasure unsurpassed opportunity. We've been indescribably privileged (and considerable surprise), Marker agreed to develop a new in coming to know the exceedingly generous, witty, and humble installation for the Wexner Center, to be on view along with man who lives and works behind the famous "Chris the Oehlen Williams95 exhibition, as well as with our presenta Marker" legend. tion of RobertFrank: The Americans.Coincidentally, we learned that Marker had actually known Frank in the 1950s; in fact, That Marker was persuaded to accept our invitation to create Markers early realization that he would "never be, say, Robert a new work as a recipient of a Wexner Center Residency Award, Frank, 3 helped propel him into cinema, where he would ulti is wholly and exclusively attributable to our Media Curator, mately attain an eerily parallel stature: the somewhat reclusive Bill Horrigan. From the outset of this project, Bill has been its art-world legend "emerging" to a wider public late in life. Ide abiding inspiration, even to the extent of suggesting the cente ally, then, the confluence of these artists in the Wexner Center nary of cinema as a thematic trigger, or "backbone," as Marker galleries would illuminate their common penchant for obses gratefully acknowledged. Through a lovely and quite amazing sively gathering, cataloguing, editing, and sequencing images— exchange of letters, these two kindred spirits have coaxed Silent all as its own justification and reward. Movieinto glorious being. The Wexner Centers commitment to the work of Chris Marker For their ongoing commitment to the Wexner Center's Resi has been manifest from the very opening of the institution in dency Award program, primary thanks must go to the trustees November 1989, when his astonishing La jetee was among the of the Wexner Center Foundation. Through their enlightened first films to be screened here. Then, in 1991,Markers vibrant support, Chris Marker was able to spend time with us in Co installation, Zapping Zone, was on view as part of the Centre lumbus, both for the presentation of SilentMovie and to work Pompidou s Passagesde I'imageexhibition, accompanied by the on forthcoming projects in our Art and Technology facility. We are also honored to recognize the sponsorship of The Andy University of California, Berkeley, Walker Art Center in Min Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This generous grant neapolis, and perhaps on to Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, was instrumental in making the presentation and catalogue of Seattle, and Paris. We are grateful to our colleagues at each of SilentMovie possible. these venues for their commitment to this project. SilentMovie has taken shape here through the dedicated efforts Most of all, we express our profound and heartfelt apprecia of many Wexner Center staff members. Director of Exhibi tion to Chris Marker for the magnificent gift that SilentMovie tions Sarah J. Rogers, along with Assistant Curator Annetta represents — to the Wexner Center and to the world. With Massie and Curatorial Assistant Sean Ulmer, handled the characteristic modesty and candor, Marker began this enter exhibition's major and minor logistics with customary exper prise by asking if the Wexner Center could risk a 1% possibil tise and collegiality. This catalogue, inspired by a French film ity of failure. The answer went unspoken, for there was never a journal of the 1920s, was realized with exceptional care and shred of doubt that Chris Marker would summon the sublime. sensitivity by Designer M. Christopher Jones and Editor Ann It's what he does. Bremner. For handling all registrarial aspects of the installa tion, our thanks go to Assistant Exhibition Registrar Kathleen Sherri Geldin Kopp. Assistant Exhibition Designer Michael Lucas and En Director gineer Steve Jones, as well as Exhibition Designer Benjamin Knepper, deserve special mention as well for their supreme skill and dexterity in achieving Markers concept for the gal 1Letter from Chris Marker to Bill Horrigan, October 12, 1994. lery installation. Director of Education Patricia Trumps and 2James Quandt, "Grin Without a Cat," CinemathequeOntario Programme Guide her staff have once again developed innovative interpretive pro (Fall 1993),p. 4. 3Letter from Chris Marker to Bill Horrigan, March 31,1994. grams to accompany Silent Movie.And not least, our great ap preciation also goes to the entire Media Arts department staff for their many contributions to this residency project: Associ ate Curator Melodie Calvert, Program Assistant Dave Filipi, Studio Editor Tim Frank, and Graduate Associate Afif Arabi.